XXII, when the Popes dwelt at the
Lateran, the _office of the Papal chapel_ was much shorter than that
of the other churches of Rome; it was composed by Innocent III, and
was adopted by the Franciscans instituted at his time. Nicolas III
ordered that all the Roman churches should use the Franciscan Breviary
as reformed by Haymo, in 1241. "Our own daily service", says the
above-mentioned minister of the church of England is confessedly
formed upon the Breviary".
[Sidenote: P. II. Office of Tenebrae.]
Having premised thus much on the office in general, we may now return
to holy-week. Besides palm-sunday, three other days in the week
are particularly devoted to the commemoration of the history of our
redemption; holy-thursday, because on it our Lord instituted the
blessed Eucharist, and his passion began; good-friday, on which He
was crucified and died; and holy saturday, on which His sacred body
remained in the tomb. The church commences her solemn service of each
of these days with that part of the divine office called matins and
lauds, and at this time Tenebrae from the _darkness_ with which it
concludes. It used of old to be celebrated at night, as it still is
by some religious communities[47]; but it now takes place on the
afternoon preceding each of those three days. Nor is this unusual:
for "the ecclesiastical day is considered to begin with the evening
or Vesper service, according to the Jewish reckoning, as alluded to in
the text.
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